Oh no, I am so sorry to hear about your little guy. I have been in your shoes with my puppy Truman. He is only 9 months old now but his hip popped out of socket when he was 9 weeks and was diagnosed with severe hip dysplasia at 10 weeks. More than one vet recommended I put him down.
I assume you've gotten x rays on his hips and the vet has recommended a treatment plan but if not, I would strong suggest taking your bully to an orthopedic specialist. The good news is, the earlier you identify a hip issue, the better the chances it can be corrected.
I am pasting a response I wrote for another member that was in a similar situation. It contains links to other threads that I wrote about my experiences with hip dysplasia, Truman's x rays, photos, etc. Check it out and please let me know if you have ANY questions! You are not alone!
Excerpt and link from my other post:
Hi [MENTION=1428]Dad to louie[/MENTION] - I am sorry to hear about your Louie's hip issues. I have experienced similar hip issues in my bulldog puppy. He had very loose hips as a baby but I didn't recognize the signs. He didn't like standing a lot. He'd sit when possible. He didn't drag his legs but he wasn't comfortable then he slipped on the floor at 10 weeks old and we found out his hip had popped out of socket. X rays revealed almost non-existent hip sockets but, because of his age, they could not give us a definitive diagnosis of hip dysplasia until 1 month later when we had a follow up x ray and the diagnosis was confirmed. You can read all about my experience
here,
here, and
here.
In some ways, I was "lucky" because we caught it early. Although Truman was in a lot of pain, discovering his hips were bad early gave us options because he was young and arthritis had not yet set in. Since it sounds like Louie is a bit older and his condition might be more advanced, you will likely have less options but there are treatments for hip dysplasia but, of course, no guarantees. It's a difficult problem but bulldogs benefit from being front heavy so their back legs don't do much of the heavy lifting, which means they are good candidates for surgeries to correct hip issues typically recommended for smaller dogs.
So, of course you need to take him to the vet and you need to ask your vet to recommend an orthopedic specialist to you. These professionals go to school an additional 4 to 6 years and are the best equipped to give you a definitive diagnosis and prognosis. I would save your money and call for a referral and get the x rays and appointment at the orthopedic specialist without seeing a regular vet first, particularly if you are seeing one you really love.
There are many treatments for hip dysplasia depending on the severity of the condition - some forms are controlled by diet and medication, others by injection, and some by surgery. Some dogs do well losing a few pounds, putting on some muscle, and taking a medication like Rimadyl or injecting Adequan. Those are the lucky ones. Interestingly, I learned bulldogs are NOT candidates for total hip replacements because they do not make prosthetic for the unique bulldog leg because it's near impossible to duplicate so you'd likely be looking at an FHO (Femoral Head Ostectomy) or a TPO (Triple Pelvic Osteotomy), if surgery is indicated. You can learn a lot about these by googling and by reading the other threads I linked to above.
Truman ended up having one partially dislocated hip and diagnosed severe hip dysplasia - the worst case scenario. Originally I elected to give him a FHO on his hip out of socket (remove the femoral head and create a false joint - basically a salvage project) and do a JPS (Juvenile Pubic Symphysiodesis) which is a preventative surgery and helps 90%+ of cases if performed under 16 weeks old - so this will not be an option for you. The good news is that Truman is doing good. He is 2.5 months out of surgery and runs and jumps and has put a lot of muscle on his bad hip. He goes for his follow up JPS surgery to see how his hips have grown in about a month from now when he's 7 months and we're hopeful that he will be able to live a long and healthy life and be able to manage any hip issues with medication but he's currently not on a thing for it.
So there are many variables but it is something you should really get taken care of sooner rather than later because it can cause other orthopedic problems if left untreated - such as torn ligaments in the knee, which I've dealt with in my other bulldog.
As for the insurance, from what I understand, you pay a great premium for hip dysplasia coverage because it is SO common. I would encourage you to make sure this makes sense for you. I did some shopping around and calculated that with the premiums they charge for pet coverage on bulldogs with hip dysplasia coverage, over a lifetime - assuming the dog lives 9 years - would cost many times over what we paid in total for the three surgeries Truman has gone through. Then again, it does make the bill come in more manageable chunks but insurance companies exist because most people pay much more than they claim so be sure it's right for you before signing up!
I hope this is helpful and you are able to read the links about Truman's story and his hips. Please don't hesitate to ask if you have more questions!
